When I'm on a airplane, I want to be isolated from my surroundings. I don't engage in conversation with strangers, and I really don't want to hear the mysterious variations in engine pitch that randomly occur at 35,000 feet. (Something weighing a quarter of a million pounds floats seven miles above the earth because air flowing over the wing is going faster than the air under it? Right.) I've been averaging several transcontinental flights a month, which has not only garnered me countless schmuck-club miles and psychosomatic airborne diseases but has also given me an opportunity to test various headphones and earbuds that help me pretend I'm not risking my life. (By the way, if you want to guarantee your carry-on will be hand-searched, fill it with more than two dozen sets of headphones.)

Noise-canceling headsets use a built-in microphone to read ambient noise (like the terrifying low rumble of a 757) and then produce an out-of-phase, duplicate noise. The two sounds meet somewhere in electronic heaven, canceling each other out. Lower quality versions remove bass and replace it with hiss, but a good set, like the Sony MDR-NC60 ($200; sonystyle.com), filters out a lot of low-end ambient sound without interfering with the music. The NC60 ear cups are so comfortable, you feel like your ears are being hugged, and even without the noise cancellation switched on, almost all the sound in your environment disappears. Plus, they use AAA batteries instead of a rechargeable pack, so you never have to worry about running out of juice.

Although they're not a noise-canceling set, another good over-the-ear option is the Senn-heiser HD 238 ($140; sennheiserusa.com). Their open-air design covers your ears but would let you hear the flight attendant screaming, "Brace for impact." There is a great balance between highs and lows, and the bass, although quite present, doesn't dominate.

Most MP3 players come with lousy earbuds. I tested many excellent aftermarket choices, including the Shure SE115 ($100; shure.com) and Audio-Technica ATH-CKM50A ($100; audio-technica.com). Both are comfortable, produce substantial highs and lows, and reduce almost as much ambient sound as the noise-canceling sets. I also like the Audéo PFE ($139; audeoworld.com). In addition to silicone cups, they come with formfitting foam covers that you squeeze before placing in your ears (like the earplugs I wear to sleep). They're comfortable and block out a lot of sound. They also have a handy optional microphone, if you're using a combination phone and music player. If you're really into manly amounts of bass, try the Monster Turbine ($180; monstercable.com) in-ear speakers.

Whatever you choose, my advice is the same: Order a Bloody Mary, lie back, put on Philip Glass's Songs from Liquid Days, and try to forget that you're traveling three football fields a second in a science experiment.

Barry Sonnenfeld produced Pushing Daisies and is the director of Get Shorty and Men in Black.

In an Emergency

The Best Headphones: The Sony MDR-NC60 (sonystyle.com) perform better than most other high-end noise-canceling headphones at half the price. And they're exceptionally comfortable.

The Best Earbuds: The Audio-Technica ATH-CKM50A (audio-technica.com) block out nearly as much ambient sound as a noise-canceling headset, and they have an impressive dynamic range.

The Budget Choice

Inexpensive, high-quality headsets do exist. I like the Ultimate Ears MetroFi170 ($50, ultimateears.com). They won't reproduce every sound as clearly as pricier competitors, so if you're the kind of person who sits alone in his den listening to Mahler's Second, these won't be for you.

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